॥ अथ ९.८ ॥
संजय उवाच ।
९.८.१
ततः प्रववृते युद्धं कुरूणां भयवर्धनम् ।
सृञ्जयैः सह राजेन्द्र घोरं देवासुरोपमम् ॥
M N Dutt Sanjaya said Then took place the battle between the Kurus and the Srinjayas, O king, that was as fierce and awful as that between the celestials and the Asuras.
९.८.१०
नागो नागमभिद्रुत्य रथी च रथिनं रणे ।
शक्तितोमरनाराचैर्निजघ्नुस्तत्र तत्र ह ॥
M N Dutt Elephant-warrior rushing against elephantwarrior and car-warrior against car-warrior, in that battle, killed each other with darts and lances and Narachas, O Bharata.
९.८.१२
हयाश्च पर्यधावन्त चामरैरुपशोभिताः ।
हंसा हिमवतः प्रस्थे पिबन्त इव मेदिनीम् ॥
M N Dutt Adorned with yak-tails, horses rushed on all sides, looking like the swans found on the plains at the foot of Himavat. In their speed they seemed as if ready to devour the very earth.
९.८.१३
तेषां तु वाजिनां भूमिः खुरैश्चित्रा विशां पते ।
अशोभत यथा नारी करजक्षतविक्षता ॥
M N Dutt The field, O king, marked with the hoofs of horses, looked beautiful like a beautiful woman bearing the marks of (her lover's) nails on her person.
९.८.१४
वाजिनां खुरशब्देन रथनेमिस्वनेन च ।
पत्तीनां चापि शब्देन नागानां बृंहितेन च ॥
M N Dutt With the sound caused by the trampling of horses, the wheels of cars, the shouts of footsoldiers, the grunts of clephants, the beating of drums and other musical instruments and the blare of conchs, the earth began to resound as if with deafening peals of thunder.
९.८.१५
वादित्राणां च घोषेण शङ्खानां निस्वनेन च ।
अभवन्नादिता भूमिर्निर्घातैरिव भारत ॥
M N Dutt With the sound caused by the trampling of horses, the wheels of cars, the shouts of footsoldiers, the grunts of clephants, the beating of drums and other musical instruments and the blare of conchs, the earth began to resound as if with deafening peals of thunder.
९.८.१६
धनुषां कूजमानानां निस्त्रिंशानां च दीप्यताम् ।
कवचानां प्रभाभिश्च न प्राज्ञायत किंचन ॥
M N Dutt On account of twanging bows and flashing swords and the glittering armour of the worriors everything was so confused there that nothing could be distinctly seen.
९.८.२०
उद्वृत्तनयनैस्तैस्तु गतसत्त्वैः सुविक्षतैः ।
व्यभ्राजत महाराज पुण्डरीकैरिवावृता ॥
M N Dutt Covered with those lifeless heads with upturned eyes, that were exceedingly mangled the field of battle, O king, looked resplendent as if covered with full-blown lotuses.
९.८.२१
बाहुभिश्चन्दनादिग्धैः सकेयूरैर्महाधनैः ।
पतितैर्भाति राजेन्द्र मही शक्रध्वजैरिव ॥
M N Dutt With the fallen arms of the warriors smeared with sandal and adorned with rich Keyuras, the Earth looked resplendent as if strewn with the rich poles set up in Indra's honours.
९.८.२३
कबन्धशतसंकीर्णं छत्रचामरशोभितम् ।
सेनावनं तच्छुशुभे वनं पुष्पाचितं यथा ॥
M N Dutt Covered with hundreds of headless trunks and strewn with umbrellas and yakyails, that vast army looked beautiful like a blossoming forest.
९.८.२९
संजज्ञे रणभूमौ तु परलोकवहा नदी ।
शोणितोदा रथावर्ता ध्वजवृक्षास्थिशर्करा ॥
M N Dutt A river was formed on the field o, battle, flowing towards the other world. Blood formed its waters and cars its eddies, Standards were its trees, the bones its pebbles.
९.८.३०
भुजनक्रा धनुःस्रोता हस्तिशैला हयोपला ।
मेदोमज्जाकर्दमिनी छत्रहंसा गदोडुपा ॥
M N Dutt The arms were its alligators, bows its current, elephants its large rocks and its smaller ones. Fat and marrow constituted its mire, umbrellas its swans and maces its rafts.
९.८.३१
कवचोष्णीषसंछन्ना पताकारुचिरद्रुमा ।
चक्रचक्रावलीजुष्टा त्रिवेणूदण्डकावृता ॥
M N Dutt Abounding with armour and head-gears, banners formed its beautiful trees. Wheels formed its swarms of Chakravakas and it was covered with Trivenus and Dandas.
९.८.३२
शूराणां हर्षजननी भीरूणां भयवर्धिनी ।
प्रावर्तत नदी रौद्रा कुरुसृञ्जयसंकुला ॥
M N Dutt Filling the brave with joy and increasing the fears of the timid, that fierce river flowed the shores of which were filled with Kurus and Srinjayas.
९.८.३३
तां नदीं पितृलोकाय वहन्तीमतिभैरवाम् ।
तेरुर्वाहननौभिस्ते शूराः परिघबाहवः ॥
M N Dutt Those brave warriors, with arms resembling bludgeons, by the aid of their cars and animals, acting as rafts and boats crossed that dreadful river which flowed towards the region of the deed.
९.८.३४
वर्तमाने तथा युद्धे निर्मर्यादे विशां पते ।
चतुरङ्गक्षये घोरे पूर्वं देवासुरोपमे ॥
M N Dutt During the course of that battle, O king, in which no consideration was showed by any body for any one and which with awful destruction of the four fold forces, resembled the battle between the celestials and the Asuras in the days of yore.
९.८.४२
ततो न्यवर्तत बलं तावकं भरतर्षभ ।
शरैः प्रणुन्नं बहुधा पाण्डवैर्जितकाशिभिः ॥
M N Dutt Then your army, O best of Bharata's race, wounded greatly with arrows by the Pandavas eager for victory, took to their heels in the battle.
९.८.४६
हयान्द्विपांस्त्वरयन्तो योधा जग्मुः समन्ततः ।
आत्मत्राणकृतोत्साहास्तावका भरतर्षभ ॥
M N Dutt Driving their horses and elephants to a great speed, thousands of warriors fled away O foremost of Bharata's race, anxious to secure their personal safety only.
॥ इति ९.८ ॥
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